6.5x55
- Thread starter Qhergt
- Start date
Sure, although they all come with the usual common sense caveat that you should work up loads for your own rifle(s) and not rely on other folks' data:
43.7 gr RL22 w/140 gr Sierra Game King
41.3 gr RL15 w/95 gr Hornady Vmax
40.1 gr Varget w/120 gr Nosler BT
47.0 gr IMR 4831 w/140 gr Barnes XLC (my moose hunting load)
35.8 gr Varget w/140 gr Hornady Amax
Most of these were tuned for a Remington 700 Classic.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
For your swedish mauser you can work up to book max and it should be safe for your rifle...mind you it will make a difference what brass you are using.
For a model 96 Swede I was using 46.5 gr. of RL-22 behind a 140 gr. Sierra GK or Nosler partition (with remington brass). With my Tikka M-65 im loading heavier but with winchester brass which has a bit more capacity.
40 gr. of 4064 behind an 85gr. sierra is a nice light plinking / varmint load that I use from time to time.
For a model 96 Swede I was using 46.5 gr. of RL-22 behind a 140 gr. Sierra GK or Nosler partition (with remington brass). With my Tikka M-65 im loading heavier but with winchester brass which has a bit more capacity.
40 gr. of 4064 behind an 85gr. sierra is a nice light plinking / varmint load that I use from time to time.
This will shoot 1/2 moa to 300 yards in my Sako 85, but the pressures are to high for your mauser and should be worked up for your T3.
45.7gn IMR 4350 Hornady SST130gn COL 3.153 Win brass CCI primers
(P.S. this is more than 2 grain over book max load)
If you want to experiment a bit, so far for me 130gn bullets shot better with IMR 4350 and 140gn bullets shot better with RL22
Have fun finding an accurate load.
45.7gn IMR 4350 Hornady SST130gn COL 3.153 Win brass CCI primers
(P.S. this is more than 2 grain over book max load)
If you want to experiment a bit, so far for me 130gn bullets shot better with IMR 4350 and 140gn bullets shot better with RL22
Have fun finding an accurate load.
The Hodgdon site lists a max of 46.0gr. of IMR 4350 with 129gr bullets, so you aren't as far into no man's land as you thought.
Mark
Wow are you sure, my Hornady book lists a max of 42.4 and the Barnes book doesn't list anything.
Definitely sure, have a look yourself:
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
The Hornady book has lawyer written all over it and generally has the lowest max loads of any of the sources I look at. If you really want to get a shock, have a look at a 30+ year old reloading manual, their max loads will be well over what is published now as max data. The current manuals are neutered due to liability concerns more than anything else.
It is far more important to carefully develop the load for your rifle and watch for pressure signs than to slavishly follow any particular manual numbers.
Mark
For my CG80 I use Lapua brass, 45.5 gr Reloader 19, 140 gr. Sierra HPBT and CCI LR primers. I would suggest you try the same receipe and change up the primers. See which group the best. It made a huge difference for me. At 100 yds, 5 shot group measures .574. Not too bad with peep sights.
+1. I am currently working on some loads for my 22-250. I have gone up as high as 37.5gr of IMR4064 with 50gr V-Max bullets, which is 1.6gr over the Hornady max and 0.5gr over the Hodgdon max with no pressure signs whatsoever. As I said, it is more important to carefully work with your rifle and develop the load from what you see instead of simply following a manual without thinking for yourself.
Mark
Load is from Barnes Reloader Manual #3, maximum load for RL 19 is46.0 grains with 140 grain Sierra HPBT.
The 45.5 grain load is what works best in my rifle. No pressure signs. Be sure to work up your load as always for your individual rifle.
The 45.5 grain load is what works best in my rifle. No pressure signs. Be sure to work up your load as always for your individual rifle.
The 6.5 bullets are very long. A small differnce in chamber or throat dimension can make one rifle very differnt than the next. I saw a START load blow a case and we needed a mallet to pound the bolt open. This was in a Swedish Mauser. Same ammo was mild in my Winchester M70.
The START load was way beynd MAX.
So start with the Start load and work up (or down).
The START load was way beynd MAX.
So start with the Start load and work up (or down).
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
I shoot 140gr SST's over RL22 and 95gr VMAX over H380 or IMR 4064.
Been loading dozens of swede's for 30+ years, all military, all win. or lapua brass, all seated long 3.00" to 3.20"oal(.200-.250" of shank in neck).
Powder:
Tryed varget (fastest) through retumbo (slowest) and most in between. Settled on h & imr 4350, and r22. All guns that I've worked with will do their best with one of these. 4350 with 120's, r22 with 139-142's is usually where it ends up.
4350 will show pressure signs more abruptly approaching max, r22 will spike a bit if a cold weather load is fired in the heat. Most show best accuracy when loaded quite warm, there's an accuracy node around max more often than not. I let my gun tell me what it wants, often over book max. Most swede bores slug .265.5 to .267", somewhat oversize, it's why many will digest more powder than a tight bored commercial rifle would, also why they jacket foul from blow by.
Bullets:
Rarely use 120's anymore but for me the best for unfussy accuracy is nosler b.t..
139 lapua scenar, 140 horn amax, 140 horn s.p. interlock, 142 sierra m.k., so far any swede will shine with one or more of these. Over the years the amax has been the go to.
It's the fattest at .2645". Tryed many others including berger, barnes, sst but dont need em anymore.
Got caught out a couple times with new to me rifles that shot way hot with my start loads, hard bolt lift hot. Turns out to be a heavy carbon ring choking the bore. Ammonia solvents would not cut the cupro-nickle fouling layers, alternate scrubs with brake cleaner,bore paste, and cr10 did the trick. Afterwards showed normal warm pressure with 5 grains MORE r22. Pays to be carefull as a blow up could have been the result had I started with a standard warm/normal load out of the gate.
P.m. me if you'd like to discuss specific powder charges.
Powder:
Tryed varget (fastest) through retumbo (slowest) and most in between. Settled on h & imr 4350, and r22. All guns that I've worked with will do their best with one of these. 4350 with 120's, r22 with 139-142's is usually where it ends up.
4350 will show pressure signs more abruptly approaching max, r22 will spike a bit if a cold weather load is fired in the heat. Most show best accuracy when loaded quite warm, there's an accuracy node around max more often than not. I let my gun tell me what it wants, often over book max. Most swede bores slug .265.5 to .267", somewhat oversize, it's why many will digest more powder than a tight bored commercial rifle would, also why they jacket foul from blow by.
Bullets:
Rarely use 120's anymore but for me the best for unfussy accuracy is nosler b.t..
139 lapua scenar, 140 horn amax, 140 horn s.p. interlock, 142 sierra m.k., so far any swede will shine with one or more of these. Over the years the amax has been the go to.
It's the fattest at .2645". Tryed many others including berger, barnes, sst but dont need em anymore.
Got caught out a couple times with new to me rifles that shot way hot with my start loads, hard bolt lift hot. Turns out to be a heavy carbon ring choking the bore. Ammonia solvents would not cut the cupro-nickle fouling layers, alternate scrubs with brake cleaner,bore paste, and cr10 did the trick. Afterwards showed normal warm pressure with 5 grains MORE r22. Pays to be carefull as a blow up could have been the result had I started with a standard warm/normal load out of the gate.
P.m. me if you'd like to discuss specific powder charges.
The truth about the 6.5x55
From Hodgon's reloading Data Manual #19
52 gr H4831- 140 grspeer- Norma Brass-28 inch swedish mauser-65degreesF 3010FPS
50.5 gr H4831 -156 gr Norma- Norma Brass-28 inch swedish Mauser-65degrees F
2846 FPS
Hmm no wonder I never needed a 270.
I never loaded the above data but replicated it using a H450 type surplus powder. 24 inch tube gave 2650 with the load that gave 2850 in a 28 inch tube.
From Hodgon's reloading Data Manual #19
52 gr H4831- 140 grspeer- Norma Brass-28 inch swedish mauser-65degreesF 3010FPS
50.5 gr H4831 -156 gr Norma- Norma Brass-28 inch swedish Mauser-65degrees F
2846 FPS
Hmm no wonder I never needed a 270.
I never loaded the above data but replicated it using a H450 type surplus powder. 24 inch tube gave 2650 with the load that gave 2850 in a 28 inch tube.
